Nice surf at Hossegor

[madscientist]

less gradual bottom creates a bigger swell, causing them for form faster and with more power. a good ground swell here is more common than you would expect. however the wind wave is more frequent.

the shorter distance to the shore the more energy the wave will carry.

 

[yamaslut]

less gradual bottom creates a bigger swell, causing them for form faster and with more power. a good ground swell here is more common than you would expect. however the wind wave is more frequent.

the shorter distance to the shore the more energy the wave will carry.

another misconception is that waves breaking on a long slope break in shallower water than a less gradual slope... that is not true. Waves here break way further out than say Sebastain inlet w/ the ledge

 

[madscientist]

another misconception is that waves breaking on a long slope break in shallower water than a less gradual slope... that is not true. Waves here break way further out than say Sebastain inlet w/ the ledge

i didn't say they break in shallower water just w/ less energy than the ones that approach and form faster from the deeper water. a large swell can travel enormous distances w/o breaking. When it reaches the adequate conditions for the size of the swell it will break only then to be controlled by the wind and the bottom for the final product.

when i was in cali it was amazing to see a ground swell that was barley visible coming into shore all of the sudden blow up into a head high breaking wave.

 

[Matt_E]

when i was in cali it was amazing to see a ground swell that was barley visible coming into shore all of the sudden blow up into a head high breaking wave.

That's the only surf I know - never seen it any differently. (Except when there's a bar further out)